Guns & Outdoors Forum

Has anybody here looked into, or perhaps already uses, solar panels in their primary residence or a rental property? I keep hearing all these grand stories of solar panels producing enough power that folks not only aren't paying an electric bill, but the company is actually buying back their excess power. For a long time the returns on cost of installation took far too long to be worthy of consideration, but more recent "inflation reduction" tax credits might change that in areas that get enough sun.

So has anyone here looked into this, or perhaps done it? I live in an area that gets 300+ days of sun a year, so if this is something I can capitalize on to future proof my property I am definitely interested.

First off, I would consider what kind of roof do you have. I've seen them put over shingle roofs, but in FL, a 25 year shingle roof lasts... 15-20, so if you're having to remove the solar to reroof the house, that's a cost.

What kind of system are you getting: panels or panels plus batteries? Is replacement of equipment going to be solely on you, or is it part of the service plan?

Batteries: how much room do they take up, and where do you put them?

How long will it take to recoup the cost of the solar with savings, and how long will you be in the house?

I looked into it a couple of years ago, and it wasn't worth it, to me, at the time. Partially because I would need to reroof the house to make the costs worth it.

The higher the electric rate, the sooner the payback. Here it’s cheap for power. Gonna take a long time to pay it back.

There’s little chance I’d personally put it on a roof. WHEN the roof needs replaced the panels will have to come off. Also some insurance companies aren’t keen on insuring panels. Your mileage may vary.
If I had them they would be set out in the yard. And I’d have them more to be self sufficient rather than to save money. But that’s a lot of ifs and buts. So I’ll stick with the 100 watt panel on my camper so I can charge my phone to watch porn while I’m in the woods.

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 2:40 pm So I’ll stick with the 100 watt panel on my camper so I can charge my phone to watch porn while I’m in the woods.

Your phone uses 100 watts to recharge?!?

More seriously, do you mind me asking what you paid for your 100 watt panel? "Back in the day" when I was using solar panels (at work), it was 10 cents a watt for a "quality" panel that would last 20 years or so. They got a bit cheaper towards the end of my involvement, but not by much.

Solar panels on a roof void the roofs warranty. Wind storms rip solar panels off roofs and take pieces of the roof with them. At my age if was to put solar on my house, I will be dead before I paid it off.

What about "Solar roofing tiles"? The tiles themselves are solar panels?

Zorba wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 2:59 pm

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 2:40 pm So I’ll stick with the 100 watt panel on my camper so I can charge my phone to watch porn while I’m in the woods.

Your phone uses 100 watts to recharge?!?

More seriously, do you mind me asking what you paid for your 100 watt panel? "Back in the day" when I was using solar panels (at work), it was 10 cents a watt for a "quality" panel that would last 20 years or so. They got a bit cheaper towards the end of my involvement, but not by much.

$125-ish


https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocryst ... 33763&th=1

I appreciate the input folks. For my property, at current electricity costs, it looks like solar would take about 12-15 years to break even off, before factoring in any unforeseen roof issues. Since this property is a rental I don't plan to move back into, current plan is to pass on it at least for the house itself. I may do an independent panel with a battery over the car port to enable level 2 EV charging for future tenants if I think that may attract renters in the future. We shall see.

My next vehicle may very well be a PHEV Wrangler, in which case my next house may have some sort of solar capability.

Rental? With someone else catching the power bill 90+% of the time? Hell no.

Primary residence with current payoff curve, even the optimistic numbers? Hell no.

Besides all of the obvious economic reasons not to do it, they look terrible.

MANY years ago, I used to do phone work at Yosemite. One year I saw some God awful solar installation at one of their offices.
I asked a ranger that I'd come to know about it.
He told me they didn't have a say in it and beyond the obvious eyesore that it was, it had an 18 year ROI and a 12 year life expectancy.
Tax dollars well spent!

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 3:42 pm

Zorba wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 2:59 pm

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 2:40 pm So I’ll stick with the 100 watt panel on my camper so I can charge my phone to watch porn while I’m in the woods.

Your phone uses 100 watts to recharge?!?

More seriously, do you mind me asking what you paid for your 100 watt panel? "Back in the day" when I was using solar panels (at work), it was 10 cents a watt for a "quality" panel that would last 20 years or so. They got a bit cheaper towards the end of my involvement, but not by much.

$125-ish


https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocryst ... 33763&th=1

That's about right. For 10 watts back in my day!

I learned not long ago that the type of system that ties you back to the grid, where the power company has to pay you if you produce more than you use, if the power goes out you don't get to use your solar "off grid". You'll be powerless like everyone else. Ivenalso read that it's cheaper and better to do a stand alone system yourself with battery reserve.

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 2:40 pm
There’s little chance I’d personally put it on a roof. WHEN the roof needs replaced the panels will have to come off. Also some insurance companies aren’t keen on insuring panels. Your mileage may vary.

I was on a FB neighborhood group when we lived in Florida. Someone started advertising solar panels when a big tax credit was about to expire. MANY horror stories of insurance companies outright refusing to insure the house at all.

Solar here in S AZ where the sun is intense few clouds they should work great. But they over heat about 6 months a year just when the energy is needed. The EMI (electro magnetic interference) is awful maybe not safe for the occupants but solar power inverters get a waiver from the FCC! Wouldn’t have an inverter on the roof if I had any kind of electronic medical device in use.
Solar hot water heaters are wonderful and I believe still get a tax credit.

My old boss got solar installed on his house, and loves it. It has really paid him back on electricity, has made his house cooler and will have an ROI in just a few years.

But he lives in Las Vegas where they get 600 days of sunshine a year, don’t have many hail or wind storms and generally are well suited for solar.

My neighbor down the street had it added to his house. He says it was not worth it, and if he had it to do over again he wouldn’t.

I guess it depends on your area.

I know of 2 people living on the outskirts of Santa Fe that added panels to a sort of car port like parking structure The slope was tuned to catch optimum sun. The temps there are more moderate than in S AZ and they got a direct offset for the power produced. Currently many utilities are only crediting the wholesale power rate for solar not the retail rate.
Here most installations are not owned by the homeowners but are on a long term lease. It is problematic to sell a house if the buyer will not re-lease the panels and inverter.